Why St. Albert's downtown could be welcoming a lot more residents
The number of housing units in St. Albert's downtown is expected to grow as the Edmonton region experiences record-breaking population growth, the city's director of economic development Mike Erickson told Taproot.
"In five years, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of (housing) units has doubled," Erickson said. "We're probably looking at 800 units (total) in five years."
In 2024, the region's population grew by 4.69%, or more than 72,000 people. Municipalities across the Edmonton region are reevaluating what kind of housing is built and where.
Fort Saskatchewan city council has approved direct control zones to allow for shallow, dense duplexes, while Leduc may amend its land use bylaw to allow fourplexes on residential and mixed-use lots, and more units in certain areas. Even Parkland County, a mostly agricultural municipality west of Edmonton, has updated its land use bylaw to allow for more density in the core of some hamlets.
In 2024, St. Albert's population grew by 1.71% in 2024, an increase of about 1,200 people. The city's population is about 72,000, but only about 600 people live in the city's 0.14-square-kilometre downtown. Currently, there are about 450 housing units there. The forthcoming St. A Square, located on the corner of St. Anne Street and St. Albert Trail, will add more than 100 units downtown. St. Albert council is also looking at creating a youth transitional housing facility downtown, which could add 15 to 20 housing units. Erickson said he also expects two or three more large-scale projects to come to the neighbourhood in the next few years.
Increasing the downtown population is one of St. Albert administration's long-term strategies to improve vibrancy there. But Erickson said there's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, as it can be hard to attract people to the neighbourhood if there aren't already people making it vibrant. In the short term, the city is working to attract visitors on a regular basis through festivals and events, like the St. Albert Farmers' Market.
"Vibrancy spurs vibrancy, right? People want to be where people are," Erickson said.
Currently, some established businesses are finding it hard to survive downtown. In June, Mayor Cathy Heron told the attendees of a BILD Edmonton event that St. Albert's downtown is "dead quiet" after office workers go home for the evening. She said after the restaurant Tryst Wine & Small Plates closed last year, constituents reached out to her in dismay.
"People were calling me — 'Why did Tryst close down? I loved it there.' And I said, 'When was the last time you were there?'" Heron said. "As residents, they actually have to support these little places downtown. They're all important businesses, but instead of going to Boston Pizza, come down here and support your local (restaurants)."
Despite the challenges of a small residential population, especially outside of office hours, Erickson presents an optimistic view of downtown St. Albert. The businesses in the area are newly represented by the St. Albert Downtown Business Association, which was established in March 2024. He added that the commercial and office vacancy rate of around 8% is "relatively healthy."
